Cambodia takes action to protect children in travel and tourism

The National Committee for Counter-Trafficking (NCCT) called upon all relevant institutions and development partners to join efforts to eliminate child sexual exploitation, a cause of global concern, including in Cambodia. The NCCT has identified the capital, Kampot, Siem Reap and Preah Sihanouk provinces as locations where children are particularly vulnerable. Read more here.

Cambodia can deny entry or leave of persons convicted of sexual exploitation of children or set up strict conditions for their travel. The Law on Tourism stipulates that “tourists or travelers who partake in activities related to sexual human trafficking and confinement, child trafficking and sexual exploitation/prostitution, disseminations of pornographic pictures and materials, shall be subject to a nullification of entry-visa and shall be expelled or may be banned [from] staying [in] the Kingdom of Cambodia” (Article 50 and 68).

Travelling sex offenders take advantage of travel and tourism infrastructures in order to commit their crimes. Some provisions of Cambodian law can also be applied to hold companies liable, when within the context of their business, they are involved in child sexual exploitation.

Cambodia is part of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) that recently endorsed landmark legal framework to harmonize laws across the region to better protect children from travelling child sex offenders, read more here.